Basque

The first-names-only duo of bassist Brandt and singer Maryasque, Basque, is an art pop duo whose almost subliminal music hovers somewhere between ghostly ambience and almost pure silence. Brandt's spare, neither rhythmic nor melodic basslines most closely resemble those of the Soft Machine's Hugh Hopper, and Maryasque's abstract voice shares similarities with both the artsy jazz singer Jeanne Lee and the trilling coo of the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser. Formed in Brooklyn in 1997, Basque released their self-titled debut the following year. 1999's Radiate followed, with the third album, Falling Forward, appearing in December 2000. ~ Stewart Mason